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What are the different types of plywood?
Home » Homebuilding » Plywood » What are the different types of plywood?There are a large number of varieties of plywood. Each is created for a specific purpose. Different conditions require different types of plywood.
Softwood plywood is typically used for construction and industrial purposes, is made with either Douglas Fir, spruce or pine.
Decorative plywood is usually faced with hardwoods. Such woods include red oak, birch, maple, lauan (Philippine mahogany) and a large number of other hardwoods.
Plywood that is made for indoor use is generally made from less expensive phenol formaldehyde glue (which has limited water resistance), while outdoor and marine grade plywood are designed to withstand rot and use a water resistant phenol-resorcinol glue to prevent delamination and retain strength in high humidity.
The most common varieties of softwood plywood come in three, five or seven plies with dimensions of 1.2 m × 2.4 m (4 feet × 8 feet). Each ply is 1/8 inch. Roofing can use the thinnest 3/8-inch plywood. Floorboards are at least 5/8-inch depending on the distance between floor joists. Plywood is often tongue and grooved for flooring applications. Two of the edges will have "grooves" notched into them to fit with the adjacent "tongue" that protrudes from the next board.
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